best practices - paperless office
TRANSCRIPT
Best Practices for a Paperless Office
Beverly Michaelis
Practice Management Advisor
Professional Liability Fund
Topics
1. Processing Documents
2. Redundancy: Too Much of a Good Thing?
3. Leveraging Efficiency
4. Protecting Your Investment
5. Caring for Special Documents
Processing Documents
• Outbound Documents
• Inbound Documents
Outbound – No Signature
Electronic File Created
Saved to Client’s eFolder
Entered into Database
Printed to Paper or PDF
Sent
Outbound – Signed Traditionally
Electronic File Created
Saved to Client’s eFolder
Entered into Database Printed Signed by Pen
Scanned Saved AgainDatabase
UpdatedSent to Client
Outbound - eSigned
Electronic File Created
Saved to Client’s eFolder
eSigned Entered into Database
Sent to Client
Electronic SignaturesThe Cloud v. The Machine
1. Issued by a Certificate Authority (CA)
2. CA Provides Public Key
3. Public Key Validates Private Key
4. Recipients Can Rely on Authenticity
5. Can Expire or Be Revoked
Digital Signature IDs
Inbound Documents
Paper Arrives Date Stamped Scanned to PDF
OCR
AppliedEntered into
DatabaseForwarded
Electronically
Fate of Paper is Decided
Redundancy: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Does It Make Sense to Keep Paper?
And eFiles?
And Case Management or Document Management Data?
Use Case or Document Management Software!
Organized
• Matter-Centric
• Multiple Ways to Classify and Describe
• Automatic Indexing
Easy
• Drag and Drop Files
• Cross reference multiple matters/contacts
Reliable
• Version Control
• History Tracking – Check in/Check Out
Instantly Accessible
• Search for Text or Metadata
• No More Lost or Misplaced Paper Files
• Information at Your Fingertips
Consistent
• eFiling Structure Provided
• Users Must Comply
All File Types Supported
• Audio, Video, Images, Other
• Easily file Email from Outlook
• Matter-Level
• Individual Documents
• Document Types
• Legacy Protection
• Secure Web Portal
And Secure!
Leveraging Efficiency
1. eSign
2. Do Not Maintain Equivalent Paper Files
3. Use Acrobat Batch Processing
4. Use Software!
eSign
Do Not Maintain Equivalent Paper Files
Scan and eFile
Shred Paper or
Send to Client or
Place in Chron File
Acrobat Batch Processing
1. Apply OCR and ClearScan
2. Embed Index
3. Redact
4. Bates Number
5. Optimize File Size and More…
http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/category/batch-processing/
Learn and Use Software!
Protecting Your Investment
• Proper Security
• UPS Battery Protection
• Backups Daily Routine
Test Integrity
On and Off Site Storage
www.osbplf.org > Practice Aids and Forms > Technology > How to Backup Your Computer
Caring for Special Documents
1. Client Property
2. Legally Significant
3. Authenticity at Issue
Return All Client Property
1. Photographs
2. Tax Returns
3. Bills
4. Receipts
5. Diaries
If the Source is the Client: Return it!
Legally Significant
1. Last Will and Testament
2. Promissory Note
3. Contract
4. Fee Agreement
5. Required by RuleExample - Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, 9037-1 (a)(1) Statement of Social Security Numbers, http://bit.ly/h5nFpB
If the Source is the Client: Return it!
Authenticity at Issue?
Source: Jacqueline A. Joseph, CDE - http://jjhandwriting.com/index.php
Thank You!
View the complete handout at: http://t.co/yxzI8vq